Car enthusiasts and owners of high-end vehicles are continually demanding new aesthetics that justify, at least in part, the high cost of such vehicles. Owners of mid-range and economy-level vehicles also can appreciate interesting design aesthetics visible in both day- and night-time environments, even if the inclusion of these aesthetics adds some marginal cost to a vehicle. In view of these needs, vehicle badges can be designed to reflect the high-end nature of particular vehicle models. For example, certain vehicle models can be more desirable to car enthusiasts and owners with a badge having a jewel-like appearance. Similarly, vehicle badges that emanate interesting sparkling patterns can also be configured to satisfy certain design aspects of particular mid-range or economy-level vehicle models.
The direct incorporation of jewels and/or precious metals into a vehicle badge can satisfy these needs in some respects. These elements might be encapsulated within a translucent badge for a luxurious or otherwise interesting design aesthetic. Nevertheless, merely adding jewels and precious metals to conventional badges will significantly increase the cost of the badge, and all but the most cost-insensitive car enthusiasts will likely object to the significant added cost of these materials. In addition, the inclusion of jewels and/or precious metals into a vehicular badge increases the likelihood that they will be removed by thieves as a target of relative opportunity. Further, the inclusion of jewels and/or precious metals into a badge might reduce the lifetime of the badge by virtue of dissimilarities in the material properties of the jewels and/or precious metals and primary materials of the badge.
Other approaches to upgrading the aesthetics of vehicle badges have focused on mimicking the look of diamonds and jewels within a molded plastic part. For example, it is feasible to make faceted, plastic badges that attempt to approximate the look of actual diamonds and jewels. Unfortunately, the results of such approaches are not promising. Generally, such badges appear to look like costume jewelry and, arguably, could detract from the overall aesthetic of a high-end, a mid-level and/or an economy vehicle rather than enhance it.
Accordingly, there is a need for badges, trim and other similar assemblies (and methods of making them) that emanate visible iridescent patterns and/or exhibit a jewel-like appearance in both day-time and night-time conditions, without a significant cost increase associated with the enhancement. In addition, these iridescent badge assemblies should maintain their appearance over a vehicle lifetime while being exposed to a typical vehicular environment. Further, these badges should be amenable to low-cost manufacturing approaches given their usage in vehicular applications as an end product with an expected large manufacturing volume.